Name: Sam Lark Jr

Years as a military spouse:

Tell us your job title/profession:

Account Manager for Main Street Hub, helping local businesses manage their social media presence

Is this full-time, part-time, hourly, contract or freelance work?

Full-time

How long have you been working in this career field?

Nearly 2 years

Do you work in an office, telecommute from home (or Starbucks), or a little bit of both?

Office

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

Interacting with local business owners.

My first job was at a local bakery. They took a chance on a shy teenager that walked with his head down. The owners were a husband and wife team. They both encouraged me to come out of my shell.

Due to that experience (well over 20 years ago), I’m a true extrovert that loves public speaking!

Having my own experience understanding the benefit local businesses bring to local economies and communities, I love helping small business owners achieve their social media goals every day!

How did you get this position? Was it a resume, referral, job fair? Spill your magic.

For my current role. I didn’t rely solely on the job application. I used LinkedIn to make connections with employees holding the same role for which I applied, managers, and the Co-CEOs/Founders of the company.

I had ongoing Twitter conversations with my current manager about his favorite college football team. I created a Twitter list with current employees, managers and the company account. I watched what was shared to learn more about the company culture and current projects. I shared the company’s content and gave thoughtful replies.

The above activities put me on their radar. After several weeks of submitting my application, their recruiter reached out to me for an interview. I ultimately became their first-ever hire from Twitter.

What is your No. 1 tip for a military spouse on the hunt for a job?

Utilize social media to build your personal brand and control how potential employers see you.

How do you feel about failure?

It’s a necessary part of success. All the successful people that come to mind have been known to say that they failed often, much and continued moving forward. The old saying, “Ready, Aim, Fire!” has been updated by, “Ready, FIRE, Aim.”

The second phrase denotes a person that isn’t waiting on perfection to get started. They just “do” and as they “do” they learn and readjust when needed to hit their target.

Fear of failure is a culprit of productivity and accomplishment.

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received? Tell us the worst too, while you’re at it.

Best piece of career advice is a saying I picked up years ago, “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.”

The worst career advice would have to be to just apply, apply, apply in hopes that the massive amount of applications sent out would get you noticed. I (and I’m sure many others) have learned that this isn’t the best use of time.

Who is in your support squad and what role do they play in supporting your career?

My wife. She is my “why,” confidant, cheerleader and coach. She sees greatness in me when I don’t. She has challenged me to go further, do more, be more than I ever imagined. Without her beside me (never ever “behind” me), I’m more than certain I wouldn’t be half the man or nearly as successful in my career as I am.

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks?

Yes. We both have things we’re good at. Knowing our strengths, we separate household tasks accordingly. The main goal is that as a team we want to be efficient

If you had an extra hour in your day, what would you do with it?

Spending more quality time with my wife

If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?

Bringing the best out of people

Are you a working military spouse? Do you want to share your career tips and tricks? Fill out the MilSpouses Who Work It Q&A today. Click here to complete our form.